New York Turned One Early Second Into Two Prospects
New York sent the draft rights to Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, the No. 32 pick in 2021, to Oklahoma City for the rights to Rokas Jokubaitis at No. 34 and Miles McBride at No. 36. The structure was simple but aggressive: the Knicks moved down twice inside the second round and came away with two players instead of one. Jokubaitis offered a longer-term overseas development path, while McBride arrived as a defense-first guard after averaging 15.9 points, 4.8 assists and 1.9 steals at West Virginia.
McBride Became the Best Player in the Deal
Miles McBride turned the trade from a clever draft-night maneuver into a clear New York win. Through the 2025-26 season he had appeared in 277 regular-season games for the Knicks, starting 43, while developing from a deep reserve into a trusted two-way rotation guard. He averaged 12.0 points in 41 games during 2025-26 and shot 41.3 percent from three. McBride was also part of New York's 2026 championship team. A No. 36 pick becoming a multi-year contributor on a title roster is substantial realized value.
Oklahoma City Still Got Legitimate NBA Production
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl was not a miss for the Thunder. He played 49 games and started 36 as a rookie, then added 43 games and 20 starts in 2022-23. Across those two Oklahoma City seasons he provided frontcourt minutes, rebounding and floor spacing on a young roster before the Thunder eventually moved him. That return is enough to keep the Oklahoma City side at a respectable B rather than treating the transaction as one-sided. The problem is that Robinson-Earl's value never reached the level McBride ultimately produced for New York.
Jokubaitis Was Extra Optionality, Not the Reason for the Grade Gap
Rokas Jokubaitis added another development asset to New York's side, but the hindsight case does not need to exaggerate his contribution. The Knicks controlled his NBA draft rights while he continued his career in Europe, giving the franchise an additional option after already securing McBride. The decisive difference is the conversion of No. 36 into a long-term rotation guard and champion. Oklahoma City received useful minutes from Robinson-Earl, but New York extracted a stronger player outcome while also retaining the second prospect's rights.
Final Verdict
Knicks Win — New York A, Oklahoma City B. Oklahoma City received real value from Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, who played 92 regular-season games for the Thunder across two seasons and started 56 of them. New York still finished with the superior return. Miles McBride grew from the No. 36 pick into a 277-game Knicks contributor through 2025-26, became a reliable two-way rotation guard and was part of the franchise's 2026 championship team. Rokas Jokubaitis added another asset on top of that. The Thunder's side was productive, but McBride created the durable separation reflected in the canonical grades.